As a debut album by a new band, 'This Might Hurt' exceeds all expectations.
There seem to be a lot of talented young bands out there at the moment who aren't afraid to be influenced by music of the past, with one of the youngest and best being new UK hard rockers The Treatment. The teenage band have received rave reviews for some of the live shows they've played, where they've put out enough energy and cocksure attitude to usually give the headliners a run for their money. Of course this approach wouldn't have any longevity if they didn't have great songs that would stand up on their own in the absence of the exuberant visuals, but thankfully The Treatment have that area sewn up too. Formed in 2008 at the tender age of fifteen by drummer Dhani Mansworth, the line-up is completed by guitarists Ben Brookland and Tagore Grey, bassist Rick Newman and singer Matt Jones, and after hitting the road they were soon snapped up by Powerage Records and sent to Steve Harris' Barnyard Studios to record this album with Dhani's father Laurie Mansworth (Airrace, More) producing. So far, so good. However, with disappointing distribution of the album when it was originally released a few months ago, the band have been picked up by Dante Bonutto's Spinefarm label and it gets a proper release here with two bonus tracks.
With a raucous, high energy sound, The Treatment mix parts of the 70s and 80s for a sound that echoes Tesla, early Aerosmith and fellow UK labelmates Jettblack, with singer Matt Jones being a dead ringer for Tesla's Jeff Keith. Simple and catchy twin guitar riffs and exuberant vocals are the order of the day as the band rock it up with the likes of opener 'Departed' and the good time rock'n'roller 'D***k, F**k, F***t', whilst the likes of 'Road Rocket' and 'Stone Cold Love' ride on a wave of testosterone. There's a little bit of AC/DC in the groove of 'The Doctor' and 'I Want Love' and some Lizzy guitar harmonies on the excellent 'Just Tell Me Why'. With Laurie Mansworth also working his magic on the songs, it's understandable that there's an older 70s influence on 'I Fear Nothing' and even a touch of AOR in the lighter waving power ballad 'Nothing To Lose But Our Minds'.
Other highlights include the fists in the air anthem 'Shake The Mountain' and the truly superb riffs and harmonies of 'Winter Sun' and 'Lady Of The Night', with Jones raising the roof while Brookland and Grey both solo far beyond their years on top of the bombastic rhythm section. If you already bought this when it first came out then you probably won't want to know that the first bonus track, 'I Will Be There', is another highlight with a busier sound and some superb guitar parts, and whilst the second is just an acoustic version of 'Just Tell Me Why', I think I may well prefer it to the original version. This version also has a different cover featuring a rather scary looking nurse with pink hair and a chainsaw, if that sort of thing floats your boat.
As a debut album by a new band, 'This Might Hurt' exceeds all expectations and has a chance of hooking in a younger audience alongside the traditional rockers, and if their appearance at High Voltage is anything to go by then it's already working. It's been said that they're stepping into the shoes previously discarded by Roadstar, but that does them a disservice. They're far better than that, just watch 'em go!
Phil Ashcroft
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